Fresh Powder
Now is a good time to own a ski resort. And, more to the point, it’s a great time to be a skier. Last year, thousands of northeasterners and Californians escaped drab winter weather by heading to the Rockies, giving Colorado its busiest season ever. The consistent snowfall all season long didn’t hurt, either. In the end, Colorado captured 23% of the American skiing and snowboarding market.
Not only did the successful winter season please the folks who run the resorts, it also made them willing to invest in pricey improvements both on and off the mountain. With continued good weather and many resorts showing off their newly renovated digs, there’s no better time to be heading to the Colorado slopes.
CONSIDER THESE DENVER-AREA SKI RESORTS:
ARAPAHOE BASIN has major bragging rights this season as it prepares for its largest terrain expansion since opening in 1946. When Montezuma Bowl opens for the 2007-2008 season, it will increase the lift-served terrain by 80%-including 36 new blue, black and double-black runs. The 400-acre Montezuma Bowl was already popular with in-the-know Basin skiers, but with the new quad Zuma lift that makes getting back up that much easier, this bowl will be the belle of the ball this season. www.arapahoebasin.com; 888-272-7246
BEAVER CREEK may get the prize for "most new stuff" this season.
For starters, it boats two brand-new gondolas. The Riverfront Express Gondola will take skiers from the base terminal in Avon up to the mountain at Beaver Creek Landing, connecting with the $500 million Riverfront Village Development. The Other is the new Buckaroo Express Gondola for Kids, which replaces the old Haymeadow Lift. Beaver Creek currently has one of the world’s top children’s ski schools and will soon be opening The Ranch, a brand-new ski school facility.
And for skiers just breaking into the blacks, Beaver Creek has introduced a new grooming program called “Diamonds in the Rough.” Every night, the resort will groom one or more of the mountain’s black diamond trails, giving those who’d like to try more advanced terrain the chance to do so, minus all the bumps and dips. The Beav assures the rest of us that its other famous steeps will remain untouched for expert skiers. http://beavercreek.snow.com; 800-427-8308
BRECKENRIDGE SKI RESORT is showing some TLC toward snowboarders this season with a newly designed multilevel “park pod” with a beginner park and pipe. A new intermediate park will also be part of the mix that includes Breck’s popular expert superpark and pipe on the Freeway run. Some additional snowmaking at the terrain parks will help ensure good conditions for shredders and rail benders.
And for kids ages 3 to 13, Breckenridge has a cool new ski school program called “Mountains of Discovery.” The program aims to get kids out of the traditional ski-school mode of doing drills in one specific area. Skiers and boarders in four different ability groups are challenged to get out and explore as a means of improving their skills. www.breckenridge. snow.com; 877-234-3981
WINTER PARK blasts out of the gate this season with the introduction of the $8 million Panoramic Express, North America’s highest high-speed six-person chairlift.
The lift runs from the bottom of Mary Jane’s Edelweiss trail to the top of Parsenn Bowl at 12,060 feet above sea level. Not only a faster way up the mountain, the lift will certainly inspire skiers to pull out the camera, with panoramic views of the Continental Divide and Fraser Valley from the peak of Parsenn Bowl. Another 100 acres of terrain accompany the new lift. http://winterpark.ski.com; 800-778-8589
KEYSTONE recently introduced a popular program of guided snowcat tours into the expert-only chutes and glades of Erickson and Independence bowls. This season, the experience will be enhanced with the addition of a gourmet catered lunch. After earning your meal on some mighty challenging terrain, retire at the base of Indy Bowl and enjoy a meal prepared by the top-notch chefs from Keystone’s mountaintop Alpenglow Stube restaurant. You’ll definitely need reservations for this experience, so make sure to call ahead.
At the other end of the spectrum, the main spa at Keystone Lodge & Spa is getting what can only be called an “extreme makeover.” The resort is adding 2,000 square feet to the facility in addition to a complete renovation. The revamped spa will now be the largest in Summit County, featuring an aromatherapy infinity tub, a vichy shower room, couples’ room and new relaxation room. www.keystone. snow.com; 877-753-9786
STEAMBOAT has $16 million in improvements to unveil this season, including the Christie Peak Express—a new, six-passenger high-speed chairlift. The lift replaces three older lifts and cuts ride time from the base of the mountain to the top of Christie Peak from 15 minutes to less than five. Steamboat also has some additional snowmaking upgrades in place, more parking and a comprehensive re-grading of the Headwall terrain. www.steamboat.com; 877-237-2628
VAIL has been a hive of activity as the village continues to undergo its billion-dollar renaissance. Visitors will see a number of new buildings finished or nearing completion this winter, with The Arrabelle at Vail Square leading the pack. Located at the base of LionsHead, the luxury hotel will include a restaurant and spa and is set to open in January.
Up on Vail Mountain, which leads the industry in its willingness to invest in infrastructure, several new lifts will greet skiers this season. The Highline Lift is a high-speed quad that replaces pokey old Chair 10 above the famed Highline bump run. Another high-speed quad, the Sourdough Lift, replaces Chair 14. Ride times are cut in half with these new lifts. Also replaced for this season is Chair 15 at the top of the gondola in LionsHead. The new Little Eagle Lift, which serves the beginner’s area at Eagle’s Nest, was installed over the summer with a faster triple chair.
In the village, the Golden Peak Children’s Center and Small World Nursery has been remodeled to increase space for the ever popular 3- to 6-year-old program. Mountain Plaza will offer new skier services near the Vista Bahn, including a new coffee house meeting place, rental and retail, adult ski school, and lift tickets and ski storage.
The Mountain Plaza area also will be home to 13 new chalets, the Vail Mountain Club and the Lodge at Vail RockResorts spa, set to open later this winter. www.vail.snow.com; 877-204-7881
SKI SEASON CALENDAR
Kick off the season in Vail December 3—9 with Vail Snow Daze, a fun series of events including live concerts with Ludacris, The Roots and more. A local favorite is the ridiculous Dummy Gelunde World Championships, where dummies created just for the occasion go sailing off the big air jump at Golden Peak.
Copper Mountain has a unique lineup of holiday happenings every year, including a torchlight parade of skiers and boarders coming down the mountain on Christmas Eve. There are also fireworks over the village for New Year’s Eve, accompanied by a Big Air show by the Copper Freeride Team.
Plan a trip to Breckenridge in January and get a chance to see teams from around the world compete in the Budweiser Select International Snow Sculpture Championships January 22-27. Teams start with 12-foot-tall blocks of snow and use hand tools and a lot of creativity to imagine art rendered in the mountain’s famous white stuff.
Like skiing and country music? Steamboat hosts Country in the Rockies January 23-27, an event that combines top country artists, musicians and songwriters with Steamboat’s celebrated powder.
Beaver Creek once again hosts “Humor on the Slopes,” featuring cartoonists from The New Yorker February 28-March 2. It’s a one-of-akind event that allows participants to watch cartoonists at work and hobnob with them at events. Try your hand at the cartoon caption contest.